Introduction:
Our experiment is based on static electricity. Rubber and plastic combs and balloons all conduct electricity. When you rub a comb or a balloon through hair it will become negatively charged. Water has no net electrical charges so the comb or balloon will cause some kind of charge towards the water. When the comb or balloon come near the water the water that is closest to the balloon or comb will gain a positive charge. The attraction between the comb or ballon (electrons/negatively charged) and the water (positively charged) will end up making a net force for the water, causing the water bend.
So we are going to prove that by rubbing a comb or balloon through hair, or on a sweater (to attract electrons) and see if it really does bend water. We will also be experimenting weather a plastic comb, a rubber comb, or a balloon causes the water to bend more, or less.
Materials:
Rubber comb, Plastic comb, inflated balloon (about 18 cm in diameter), culvert, culvert stand, meter stick, human (with dry hair), sink.
Procedure:
1)Fill the culvert with cold water and set in the stand. Put the culvert over the sink.
2)Place the meter stick across the sink. Open the culvert to see where on the meter stick the water falls. This is your base line.
3)Comb your hair with the comb 20 times.
4)Hold the comb two cm to the left of the culvert. Open the culvert.
5)Record the point on the meter stick where the water falls. Find the distance between this point and the base line.
6)Repeat the experiment at least five times with each comb and the balloon. When you use the balloon, rub it on your hair 20 times. Do not attempt to comb your hair with the balloon.
Results:
Plastic Comb
Rubber Comb
Balloon
Trial 1
1 cm
1.5 cm
4 cm
Trial 2
.5 cm
1.6 cm
3.2 cm
Trial 3
1 cm
2 cm
5 cm
Trial 4
1 cm
1.8 cm
3 cm
Trial 5
0 cm
3 cm
5 cm
Trial 6
0 cm
2 cm
5 cm
Conclusion:
A latex balloon is more conductive than a rubber comb, which is more conductive than a plastic comb.
Our experiment is based on static electricity. Rubber and plastic combs and balloons all conduct electricity. When you rub a comb or a balloon through hair it will become negatively charged. Water has no net electrical charges so the comb or balloon will cause some kind of charge towards the water. When the comb or balloon come near the water the water that is closest to the balloon or comb will gain a positive charge. The attraction between the comb or ballon (electrons/negatively charged) and the water (positively charged) will end up making a net force for the water, causing the water bend.
So we are going to prove that by rubbing a comb or balloon through hair, or on a sweater (to attract electrons) and see if it really does bend water. We will also be experimenting weather a plastic comb, a rubber comb, or a balloon causes the water to bend more, or less.
Materials:
Rubber comb, Plastic comb, inflated balloon (about 18 cm in diameter), culvert, culvert stand, meter stick, human (with dry hair), sink.
Procedure:
1) Fill the culvert with cold water and set in the stand. Put the culvert over the sink.
2) Place the meter stick across the sink. Open the culvert to see where on the meter stick the water falls. This is your base line.
3) Comb your hair with the comb 20 times.
4) Hold the comb two cm to the left of the culvert. Open the culvert.
5) Record the point on the meter stick where the water falls. Find the distance between this point and the base line.
6) Repeat the experiment at least five times with each comb and the balloon. When you use the balloon, rub it on your hair 20 times. Do not attempt to comb your hair with the balloon.
Results:
Conclusion:
A latex balloon is more conductive than a rubber comb, which is more conductive than a plastic comb.